Air conditioning apparatus



Nov. 30, 1943. E. R. woLFERT 2,335,627

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Feb, 21, 1940 WITNESSES: NVENTOR W i Ya ,1 EDWARD' A?. Wou-ERT ad M BY f@- ifm Y ATToR Y Patented Nov. 30,19434 Am coNnrrroNmG APPARATUS Edward R. Wolfert, Springlleld, Mass..assignoi' to Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company, EastPittsburgh. Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application Februaryzi,1940, serial No. acuosa (ci. ca -129) 5 Claims.

My invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, more particularlyvto a unit air conditioner adapted to be mounted in the window of a room,and itl has for an object to provide improved apparatus of the characterset forth.

A more particular object is to provide animproved structure for housingand mounting an air conditioning unit, more particularly a simplerstructure involving less material and therefore less expensive tomanufacture.

A further object is to provide a housing and mounting structureaffording convenient access to the air conditioning apparatus containedtherein.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing. forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the unit air conditioner mounted ina window; and,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the mounting structure'and therefrigerating unit removed from the mounting structure.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I show a unit air conditionerindicated generally-by the numeral I and adapted to be mounted in thewindow of room for the purpose of cooling and dehumidifying or otherwiseconditioning the air of a room. In accordance with the present inventionthe elements of a refrigerating system which serves to cool anddehumidify the air are mounted as a unit on a base member II to form arefrigerating or air cooling unit I2. I Such elements include anevaporator I3 extending across the front of the unit, a condenser I4extending across the back of the unit, and a motor-compressor unit I5disposed just forwardly of the condenser. The refrigerating systemfurther in-v cludes suitable conduits and all other parts necessary toform a complete and operative refrigerating system. An upstandingpartition I6, of the form shown in Fig. 2, is mounted on the base memberII to form a division between an evaporator compartment I1 at the frontand a condenser or machine compartment I8 in the back. A fan I9 disposedin a fan shroud 2i serves to introduce flow of air from outdoors throughthe left-hand half of the condenser into the machine compartment and todischarge the same to outdoors through the right-hand portion of thecondenser. A fan (not shown) disposed in a fan shroud 22 is adapted toinduce ilow of air from the room inwardly through the right-hand portionof the evaporator into the evaporator compartment I 1 and to dischargethe same into the room through the left-hand portion of the evaporator.As will be noted from Fig. 2, the unit I2 is open on the two oppositesides and on the top.

To mount the refrigerating unit I2 in the window, I provide a mountingstructure indicated generally by the reference numeral 23. In accordancewith myinvention, I further utilize the mounting structure 23 as acasing or housing for the unit I2, thereby dispensing with the need ofproviding a casing on the unit I2 itself. 'I'he mounting structure 23comprises side walls 24 and a top wall 25. These walls are substantiallyimperforate and extend from the front to the back of the apparatus.Angle irons 26 are secured tol the lower edges of the side walls 24, asby spot-welding, and provide horizontal flanges 21 on which the unit I2is supported.

.Inasmuch as the base member II forms a closure for the bottom of theunit air conditioner, it is not necessary that the mounting structure 23comprise a complete bottom wall. However, a suitable connection betweenthe lower edges of the side walls 24- is preferably provided to make themounting structure more rigid. Such connection may comprise an angleiron 28 and a wall portion 29, which are preferably spaced to provide anopening 30 for admission of fresh air t0 the cabinet.

The mounting structure 23 is fastened in the window in any suitablemanner. In the illustrated embodiment, the downwardly-extending ange ofthe angle iron 28 engages the outer edge of the window sill, andsuitable clamps 3|, removably. secured to the bottom of the mountingstructure, engage the inner edge of the window sill., An angle iron 32is secured to the top wall 25, as by spot-welding, and disposed toprovide an upwardly-extending flange which is adapted to engage theinner side of the window sash. Removable and adjustable clamps 33 aresecured to the top wall 25, as shown on the drawing, and are adapted toengage the outer side of the window sash.

To mount the unit air conditioner in the window, the mounting structureis first secured in place. To do this, the mounting structure is first,placed on the window sill in the position shown and the clamps 3| aretightened. The window sash is then brought down and the clamps 33tightened, so that the mounting structure is securely held in the windowas shown on the drawing. Any open spaces left between the sides of themounting structure and the window may be closed in any suitable manneras well known in the art. After the mounting structure has been securelyfastened and placed in the window, the refrigerating unit II ispositioned therein by merely inserting it horizontally through the frontof the mounting structure and sliding it rearwardly therein. When theunit is so inserted, the upstanding partition I6 cooperates with theside walls 24 and the top wall 25 and the base member Il to form theevaporator and condenser compartments I1 and IB already referred to, theside and top walls of the mounting structure thus forming the sides andthe top of the compartments l1 and I8. The fans referred to above arethen effective to induce flow of air from the room and from outdoorsinto the respective compartments.

A rubber or other suitable gasket, partially shown at 34, extends alongthe top and side edges of the partition I6, being preferably attached toanges extending along said edges. This gasket contacts the innersurfaces of the walls 24 and 25, thereby providing an air seal betweenthe compartments I'l and I8.

A wood cabinet member 35 may be placed over that portion of the airconditioner which is on the interior of the room. This cabinet memberincludes a series of louvers in the front to provide for admission anddischarge of the air flowing through the evaporator, as indicated by thearrows in Fig. 2.

From the above description it will be seen that the construction of theunit air conditioner has been simplified and its cost reduced in thatthe mounting structure serves two purposes; namely, to mount the unit inthe window and also to form a casing or enclosure therefor. A furtheradvantage is that the unit can bev very easily withdrawn from themounting structure and when so Withdrawn the several elements of theapparatus are readily accessible for inspection, repair and servicing.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a unit air conditioner, the combination of a unit comprising abase member and air conditioning elements mounted on the base member,said unit being open on two opposite sides and on the top, a housing andmounting structure comprising opposed side walls and a top wall, andmeans for fastening the housing and mounting structure in a window, saidunit being mounted in the housing and mounting structure in such mannerthat the side and top walls of the latter close the sides and top of theunit, and said unit and said housing and mounting structure being soconstructed and arranged that said unit may be withdrawn from andinserted into said housing and mounting structure horizontally while thelatter is fastened in a window.

2. In a window-mounted unit air cooler, the combination of a windowmounting structure comprising a top wall and opposed side wallsextending through the window opening, means for supporting a coolingunit therein and means for fastening the mounting structure to thewindow; and an air cooling unit mounted in said mounting structure andcomprising a base member and a vertical partition mounted on said base,said base member and said partition cooperating with said top and sidewalls to form an evaporator compartment and a machine compartment, anevaporator mounted on said base and disposed in said evaporatorcompartment, a compressor and a condenser mounted on said base anddisposed in said machine compartment, said evapo..

rator and machine compartments being formed with air flow openingscommunicating with said enclosure and the exterior of said enclosure,respectively, said unit and said mounting structure being so constructedand arranged that said unit may be withdrawn from and inserted into saidmounting structure horizontally while the latter is fastened in awindow.

3. In a window-mounted unit air cooler, the combination of a coolingunit comprising a substantially flat base member, an evaporator and acondenser mounted on said base member adjacent the front and the backthereof, respectively, an upstanding partition mounted on said basemember between said evaporator and said condenser, substantial portionsof the sides and the top of said cooling unit being open; a mountingstructure for mounting said unit in a window and including side walls, atop wall and flanges extending along the side walls adjacent the loweredges thereof, and means for fastening the mounting structure in thewindow, said unit being disposed within said mounting structure andsupported on said flanges in such manner that the side and top walls ofthe mounting structure close the sides and top of the unit and saidpartition cooperates with said base member and said side and top wallsto form evaporator and machine compartments in which said evaporator andcondenser are respectively disposed and through which separate streamsof air are circulated over said evaporator and condenser, respectively,said unit and said mounting structure being so constructed and arrangedthat said unit may be withdrawn from and inserted into said mountingstructure horizontally While the latter is fastened in a window.

4. A window-mounted unit air cooler as set forth in claim 3, and furtherincluding means providing an air seal between said partition and saidside and top Walls to separate the air streams in said compartments.

5. In a window-mounted unit air cooler, the combination of a coolingunit comprising a substantially at base member, an evaporator and acondenser mounted on said base member adjacent the front and the backthereof, respectively, an upstanding partition mounted on said basemember between said evaporator and said condenser; a mounting structurefor mounting said unit in a window and including side wall portions, atop wall portion, flanges extending along the side wall portionsadjacent the lower edges thereof, and means for fastening the mountingstructure in a window; substantial portions of the sides and the top ofsaid cooling unit being open when said unit is removed from saidmounting structure, said unit being so disposed in said mountingstructure and supported on said flanges that said side and top wallportions of the mounting structure cooperate with said partition andsaid base member to form a machine compartment in which said condenseris disposed; and said air cooler including side and top wall portionscooperating with said partition and said base member to form anevaporator compartment in which said evaporator is disposed, said unitand said mounting structure being so constructed and arranged that saidunit may be withdrawn from and inserted into said mounting structurehorizontally while the latter is fastened in a window.

EDWARD R. WOLFERT.

